Safety razor



H. sToNEY SAFETY RAZOR May 29, 1934.

Filed Feb. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 oo 5 2 1 w UV 7. Zw .7. .w 0 7 .w jw ww.- H N U w W /NV f/ ,5. I u l In I /l/aL I l W,

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SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 6, 1954 2 Sheets--Sheerl 2 if' 7 9.4. if zo, Y/

18 l je Z7 27 z2 ZZ l; Z7 Z8 21 Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED srAa'rEsSAFETY RAZOR Harry Stoney, Watertown, Mass., assignor to Gillette SafetyRazor Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 6,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to safety razors of the type in which a thinflexible blade is clamped for shaving between co-operatingblade-supporting members and maintained by them in a flexed condition.In one aspect the present invention comprises a novel razor constructionin which such blade-supporting members are arranged for rapid andconvenient movement to and from blade supporting position. In anotheraspect it comprises improvements in safety razors employing pivotallymounted cap sections which are arranged to be swung laterally ortransversely in exposing the blade and also moved relatively to a guardor other blade-supporting member in clamping or releasing the blade.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention the bladeclamping and releasing movements of the cap sections of my improvedsafety razor are effected by a movement at right angles to the surfaceof the blade and then, when such releasing movement has progressed to apoint at which the cap sections entirely clear the unflexed blade, theyare moved laterally to expose the blade preferably by simultaneouslyswinging or pivotal movement.

advantageous in that it relieves the blade of the danger of contact fromany portion of the cap sections and consequent dulling. As herein shownmeans are provided for locking the cap sections in closed conditionwhile they occupy their bladeflexing position and in their rlnalmovement to such position as well as in their initial movement from suchposition; thus the cap sections may be positively guided toward and fromthe blade in closed condition and unlocked for separation only whensuliciently clear of the blade to obviate the possibility of any contacttherewith.

Other features of my invention relate to novel mechanism for operatingthe cap sections in both Iof their movements, that is to say, in theirrightline movement to and from blade-clamping position and in theirswinging movement to and from blade-exposing position. As herein shownthe cap sections have pin and slot connection with the blade-supportingmember, which in this instance may be the guard. A handle operatedactuating member is provided having also pin and slot connection withthe cap sections. In this latter connection the slot is a transverseslot and 5o the pins are driving pins which are movable freely andtransversely in the slot, whereas in the case of the connection betweenthe cap sections and the-guard, the slots are vertical and theconnecting pins move vertically in parallel slots. The

two connections are so designed that the connect- Such mode of operationis 1934, Serial No. 709,974

ing pins between the cap sections and the guard are first moved from oneend to the other of the vertical slots and then, in the continuedmovement of the actuating member, the cap sections are swung about thesame connecting pins as axes into open or blade-exposing position. Thisconstruction is effective in enabling the user to organize his razorrapidly for shaving and conveniently replace a blade after use wheneverhe may desire to do so.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description `of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 is a view in perspective on anenlarged scale of the razor and blade assembled in shaving condition;

Fig. 2 is a View in longitudinal section on a still larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the razor head as seen from beneath;

Fig. 4 is a View of the razor head in front elevation with certain partsbroken away;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the razor as seen from so beneath, Vthe handlebeing shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the razor as seen from above, showing the capsections being shown in open position;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the razor 35 head on the line 7-7 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the cap and guard in vertically spacedrelation; and

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the cap sections in fully openposition.

The tubular handle 10 of the razor is provided at its upper end with ahead 11 having oppositely disposed and transversely-extending cross arms12. The arms 12 are relatively wide and shallow in cross sectional areaand each is provided in 95 its outer end wall with atransversely-extending groove or slot 13 extending continuously acrossthe end of the arm. Within the tubular handle 10 is provided anelongated spindle 15 which is arranged to be moved longitudi- 100 nallyWithin the handle and is provided with a long threaded stem 16 ofslightly reduced diameter at its lower end. A tubular nut 17, rotatablyengaged in the lower end of the handle 10, is threaded upon the stem 16and serves to ad- 105 Vance or retract the spindle 15 with reference tothe handle 10.

The blade-supporting member of the razor comprises a guard 18 which isshown as having a threaded connection with the upper end of the 110spindle 15. The guard member 18 is rectangular in outline and providedalong its opposite side edges with guard teeth 19. Its upper face issomewhat convex in contour being provided with parallel fulcrumshoulders over which the blade 82 may be iiexed when the cap sectionsare moved into clamping engagement therewith. Projecting from the upperface of the guard 18 is a pair of spaced ribs 20 designed to locate theblade accurately in position upon the guard. The guard is providedfurther at each of its corners with a downwardly-extending arm 21 havinga vertical slot 22 therein. From the foregoing description it will beapparent that when the nut 17 is turned the spindle 15 with the guard 18is raised or lowered relatively to the cross arms 12. In Figs. 2 and 7the guard is shown in position at the upper limit of its movement andmost remote from the cross arms 12. In Fig. 9 the guard is shown in itslowermost position, in which it just clears the cross arms 12, and inFig. 8 it is shown in an intermediate position.

Two cap sections 24 are mounted in the razor head for relative pivotalmovement and also for straight line movement toward or from the guard18. The cap sections are slightly longer than the guard and they are ofsuiiicient width to flex a blade over the fulcrum shoulders of the guardwhen arranged in edge engagement with each other. The outer longitudinaledge 25 of each cap section is designed to bear upon the surface of theblade adjacent to the cutting edge thus flexing and supporting theflexed blade. The adjacent inner edges of the cap sections 24 areprovided with registering recesses 26 to t the short blade locating ribs20 when the cap sections are closed and moved intc` blade-clampingposition.

Each cap section is provided at its two outer corners withdownwardly-extending arms 27 having connection therewith through anarrow neck, the arrangement being such as to leave unobstructed thecentral portion at the end of the closed cap sections and permit theelongated central unsharpened portion of a blade to projectlongitudinally out from beneath the cap sections and between the necksof the arms 27. Each of the arms 27 is provided with an inwardly eX-tending pivot pin 28 which is arranged to slide and to turn in the slots22 of one of the arms 21. The cap sections 24 are thus connected to thearms of the guard lfor a limited vertical movement and also for angularor pivotal movement about the axes of the pins 28 toward and from eachother or from a blade-clamping position above the guard to ablade-exposing position at either side thereof.

Each arm 27 is also provided with a driving pin 29 which is longer thanthe pivot pins and which extends inwardly past the guard arm 21 and intothe slot 13 in the end of one of the cross arms 12. The driving pins 29,as best shown in Figs. 7 to 9, are located in off-set relation to thevertical guide slots 22 and to the path of movement of the pivot pins28. It follows, therefore, that when the guard 18 is moved upwardly withrespect to the cross arms l2, that is to say out of the position shownin Fig. 9, the cap sections 24 will be rocked inwardly toward each otheruntil their movement is arrested by contact of their inner longitudinaledges. The closing pivotal movement of the cap sections carries themfrom the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 8. Whenthe cap sections have thus been brought into Contact and further pivotalmovement therefore positively prevented, further downward movement ofthe driving pin 29 is ef"- fective to move the closed cap sectionsbodily downwardly in a straight line path carrying the pivot pins 28from the position shown in Fig. 8, at the upper end of the grooves 22,to the position shown in Fig. 7 wherein the pivot pins have reachedsubstantially the lower end of the grooves 22. vIt will be apparent thatthe up and down movement of the driving pin 29 is caused by the up anddown movement of the cross arms 12 or by the relative separatingmovement of the cross arms with respect to the guard 18. The transversecomponent o-f movement of the driving pins 29 about the axis of thepivot pins 28 is taken up in transverse movement along the grooves 13and the operative connection between the driving pins 29 and the crossarms 12 is therefore continuously maintained.

Each of the cap section arms 27 is provided in its lower edge with aguide slot 30 which, in the closed positions of the cap sections, isvertically disposed and registers with a guide pin 81 projectingoutwardly from each guard arm 21 adjacent to the lower end thereof. Incontour the lower ends of the cap section arms 27 are curvedconcentrically about the axes of the pivot pins 28, so that swingingmovement of the cap sections may take place without any binding of thearms. The guide pins 31 and the guide slots 30 cooperate to lock the capsections together and to insure a right line or vertical movement of thecap sections in their blade clamping movement and throughout theirinitial blade releasing movement. While the pin and groove are engagedthe action of the driving pins 29, even though offset with respect to'the guided line of movement of the cap sections, is-conned in itseffect to a movement of translation and it is only after the capsections have been separated from the guard suiciently to carry theguide pins 31 out of the grooves 30 that the cap sections are freed topartake of an angular movement about the axis of their pivot pins 28.

Assuming that the razor is clamped in shaving position as shown in Figs.l to 7 and that the user desires to release and remove the blade 32, thenut 17 is turned in a direction to lower the guard 18. The guard 18 is,thereupon, moved downwardly in a straight line, the cap sections 24being meantime locked against angular separation by the engagement ofthe guide pins 31 and the slots 30. As soon as the blade releasingmovement of the guard has progressed suiciently to carry the guide pins31 out of the lower end of guide slots 30, the relative downwardmovement of the pivot pins 28 with respect to the driving pins 29becomes effective to rock the cap sections outwardly into the positionshown in Fig. 9, in which the blade 32 is fully exposed and remainssupported upon the guard 18 in convenient position to be removed bytheuser Without obstruction and without danger of cutting himself. Downwardmovement of the spindle 15 and the guard 18 may be continued until thepivot pins 28 reach the upper end of the guide slots 22, and in thisposition the upper surface of the head 11 or the cross arms 12 isbrought into engagement with the lower surface of the guard 18 so thatfurther movement is arrested.

After the blade has been replaced the bladeclamping operation may beeffected in the reverse manner, that is to say, the nut 17 is turned ina direction to elevate the guard member 18 upon which the new blade hasbeen placed. The cap sections being free to rock, the initial movementof the nut 17 causes the cap sections to swing together from theposition shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 8, this movementtaking place freely about the axis of the pivot pins 22 which occupy atthis time their position in the upper ends of the guide slots 22. Whenthis has been accomplished further vertical movement of the driving pins29 is effective to move the cap sections downwardly with respect to theguard, or to move the guard upwardly with respect to the cap sections,and in this nal movement the blade is placed in a condition ofpronounced transverse curvature by relative right line movement of theclamping parts of the razor.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A safety razorhaving a blade support, cap sections mounted thereon for movement towardand from the support and also for pivotal movement, and a relativelymovable handle member having pivotal connection with said cap sectionsat points offset with respect to their axes of pivotal connection withthe blade support.

2. A safety razor having a blade support, cap sections having pin andslot connections therewith arranged to guide the closed cap sections forlimited straight line movement toward or from said blade support, and ahandle member movable toward and from the blade support and havingpivotal connection with each of the cap sections at a point out of linewith their connection to said support.

3. A safety razor including in its organization a blade-support, capsections having pin and slot connections with said Support permittingstraight line movement of the cap sections for clamping or releasing ablade from said support, and means for positively limiting the closedcap sections `to straight line movement during a portion of their traveland thereafter releasing them for angular movement.

4. A safety razor including in its organization a blade-support, capsections mounted to swing about axes beneath said support and to movebodily with respect thereto toward or from the face of saidblade-support, and means for holding the cap sections in contiguousposition during such bodily movement thereof arranged to release thesections at a predetermined distance of separation from said support.

5. A safety razor including in its organization a blade-support and ahandle member arranged for relative movement, cap sections connected tosaid support for bodily movement toward and from the same in closedcondition and also for pivotal movement, pivotal connections betweensaid cap sections and handle member, and locking means for maintainingthe cap sections in substantially closed relation during their bodilymovement.

6. A safety razor comprising a blade-support, cap sections connectedthereto for both pivotal and right line movement, an actuating memberhaving a transverse slot therein, and a driving pin on each cap sectionfree to move transversely in the slot during the pivotal movement of thecap sections.

7. A safety razor comprising a blade-support having downwardly extendingarms with vertical slots therein, cap sections having connecting pinsextending into said slots, an actuating member having a transverse slot,and driving pins on each cap section located in offset relation to theconnecting pins and free to move toward or from each other in said slotwhen the actuating member is moved relatively to said blade-support.

8. A safety razor of the character defined in claim 7, furthercharacterized by the provision of means for locking the cap sectionsagainst separation during the movement of the connecting pins along saidVertical slots.

9. A safety razor comprising a guard having downwardly projecting armsprovided with slots which are parallel to each other, cap sections alsoprovided with downwardly projecting arms having connecting pins movablein said slots and driving pins movable vertically in the space betweenthe arms of the guard, and a handle-operated actuating member movablerelatively to the guard and having a transverse slot in which thedriving pins are freely movable in transverse direction.

10. A safety razor comprising a guard having fulcrum shoulders, aflexible blade adapted to be exed thereover, a cap comprising separablesections having pin and slot connections with the guard, means forlocking the sections together while in blade-flexing position, and ahandle-operated actuating member having pin and slot connection with thecap sections for moving them first into unlocked position and thencausing them to swing into blade-exposing position.

11. A safety razor comprising a guard, cooperating cap sections havingvertical slot and pin connections with the guard, and a handle-operatedactuating member having transverse slot and pin connections with the capsections.

HARRY STONEY.

